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Perfectly Parvin #2
Azar on Fire
Finding her voice takes on a whole new meaning when fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi sets out to win her local Battle of the Bands contest in this heartfelt and hilarious contemporary YA.
Fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi’s first year of high school has mostly been silent, and intentionally so. After a bad case of colic as a baby, Azar’s vocal folds are shredded—full of nodules that give her a rasp the envy of a chain-smoking bullfrog. Her classmates might just think she’s quiet, but Azar is saving her voice for when it really counts and talking to her classmates is not medically advisable or even high on her list.
When she hears about a local Battle of the Bands contest, it’s something she can’t resist. Azar loves music, loves songwriting, but with her vocal folds the way they are, there's no way she can sing her songs on stage.
Then she hears lacrosse hottie, Ebenezer Lloyd Hollins the Fifth, aka Eben, singing from the locker room. She’s transfixed. He's just the person she needs. His voice + her lyrics = Battle of the Bands magic. But getting a band together means Azar has a lot of talking to do and new friends to make. For the chance to stand on stage with Eben it might all just be worth it.
Fourteen-year-old Azar Rossi’s first year of high school has mostly been silent, and intentionally so. After a bad case of colic as a baby, Azar’s vocal folds are shredded—full of nodules that give her a rasp the envy of a chain-smoking bullfrog. Her classmates might just think she’s quiet, but Azar is saving her voice for when it really counts and talking to her classmates is not medically advisable or even high on her list.
When she hears about a local Battle of the Bands contest, it’s something she can’t resist. Azar loves music, loves songwriting, but with her vocal folds the way they are, there's no way she can sing her songs on stage.
Then she hears lacrosse hottie, Ebenezer Lloyd Hollins the Fifth, aka Eben, singing from the locker room. She’s transfixed. He's just the person she needs. His voice + her lyrics = Battle of the Bands magic. But getting a band together means Azar has a lot of talking to do and new friends to make. For the chance to stand on stage with Eben it might all just be worth it.
10 pages, Audiobook
First published August 23, 2022
9 people are currently reading
2416 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 79 reviews
August 7, 2022
I REALLY, really enjoyed this YA book about an Iranian American teen, Azar, who has a chronic and invisible disability related to childhood colic and vocal chord nodules. An aspiring singer/songwriter in her first year of high school, Azar is pretty much a loner until she forms a band and develops a crush on one of the other members. The disability and demisexuality rep in this book is great and it was also very well done as an audiobook narrated by Alex McKenna. Much thanks to Libro.fm for my ALC of this charming and easily bingeable book!
October 12, 2022
3.75
This book sort of bridges the gap between YA and middle grade. Azar is 14, and while technically a high schooler, therefore making this YA, she’s so young that the book often reads much more like a middle grade novel. This is neither a good or bad thing, simply something you may want to be aware of before you pick up the book.
This was cute! Azar was a spunky narrator. The cast of friends were diverse and personable. The disability rep was phenomenal. But let’s dive in a little bit deeper, shall we?
Azar on Fire follows 14 year old Azar Rossi, a music loving teen with vocal damage due to severe colic as a baby. When she accidentally damages $1000 worth of school property, her principal gives her an ultimatum—pay the school back, or join the battle of the bands.
Since Azar can’t afford to pay the school back, she must gather a band and enter the competition. Being a performer may be her dream, but being in a band is a lot harder than Azar expected.
The representation in this book is amazing. Azar is both disabled and multiracial (Argentinian, Iranian, and Italian). I believe both of those experiences are #ownvoices, though I’m not sure in the case of the disability rep. The raw and knowledgeable way in which it was written led me to believe that it must have been written by someone who experienced these things, and though there is no author’s note, Olivia Abtahi mentions her ENT doctor in the acknowledgments.
Azar is also demisexual, which we learn through an interaction between her and her cousin Roya. To me, this scene felt really random and out of place. It was never hinted at or mentioned before this, nor was it mentioned again. It was one throw-away scene in the middle of the book that sort of came out of nowhere. Now, I am demi, and I appreciate the rep, but I wish it had been even just a little bit more pervasive throughout the story. The way it felt so awkwardly plugged into the story cheapened the representation for me.
The larger cast of characters is similarly diverse. Roya, Azar’s cousin and best friend, is Iranian. Her bandmates are also all POC, except for Eben, the lead singer and love interest, who is the only cishet white person in the main cast. Matty, the guitarist, is Argentinian and gay, and Nadim, the bassist is an Arab exchange student (I don’t remember the specific country he is from).
The plot and pacing of the book were fine. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible. I was never super engaged, nor did I ever have the desire to DNF the book. There were a lot of throwaway scenes and things that happened in the book that I thought would become recurring themes later on, but didn’t. They added nothing to the book or the story, and just kind of felt… weirdly inserted. Azar’s demisexuality is one example of this. Another is Azar’s visit to Eben’s house where she learns his mom is a famous internet blogger who posts about him a ton on the internet for views (sometimes in a way that is exploitative and a violation of his privacy). That made me go what? It was completely out of left field and didn’t mesh with who Eben is as a person. He and Azar never addressed it in conversation. It never comes up again. It was a whole thing that I couldn’t stop thinking about for the rest of the book, waiting for it to become relevant again, only for that to never happen.
Azar goes through some serious character growth throughout the book, and unlike some other aspects of the story, those threads are never lost. One of the reasons I say this book reads a lot like a MG novel is because this character growth, and the accompanying morals, are very heavy handed. We are blatantly told and shown that Azar needs to work on team work. She’s a little bit of a control-freak (relateable lol), and she feels personally attacked every time the band doesn’t want to do exactly what she says or wants. This did get kind of annoying at times, because of how often it was repeatedly shoved down the reader’s throats, and because the way it was written felt very much like a lesson being taught. Which felt very middle grade, to me, for a YA novel. Middle grade books can sometimes have a very strong teaching moral woven in, whereas books for older readers (YA, adult) often have themes that are more subversively present that the reader is expected to take away without having it shoved in their face.
I think that Azar’s growth in accepting herself and her disability was done much more artfully. She steadily and gradually began to accept herself throughout the book, culminating in her realizing she doesn’t need to have fully functional vical cordsin order to play her music and be happy with herself. Unlike the “teamwork is important!” aspect of her character growth, this felt much more natural within the story, and I really enjoyed watching her grow.
This book is definitely worth the read, and I would love to see a true middle grade book from this author someday! I think she’d excel at it.
This book sort of bridges the gap between YA and middle grade. Azar is 14, and while technically a high schooler, therefore making this YA, she’s so young that the book often reads much more like a middle grade novel. This is neither a good or bad thing, simply something you may want to be aware of before you pick up the book.
This was cute! Azar was a spunky narrator. The cast of friends were diverse and personable. The disability rep was phenomenal. But let’s dive in a little bit deeper, shall we?
Azar on Fire follows 14 year old Azar Rossi, a music loving teen with vocal damage due to severe colic as a baby. When she accidentally damages $1000 worth of school property, her principal gives her an ultimatum—pay the school back, or join the battle of the bands.
Since Azar can’t afford to pay the school back, she must gather a band and enter the competition. Being a performer may be her dream, but being in a band is a lot harder than Azar expected.
The representation in this book is amazing. Azar is both disabled and multiracial (Argentinian, Iranian, and Italian). I believe both of those experiences are #ownvoices, though I’m not sure in the case of the disability rep. The raw and knowledgeable way in which it was written led me to believe that it must have been written by someone who experienced these things, and though there is no author’s note, Olivia Abtahi mentions her ENT doctor in the acknowledgments.
Azar is also demisexual, which we learn through an interaction between her and her cousin Roya. To me, this scene felt really random and out of place. It was never hinted at or mentioned before this, nor was it mentioned again. It was one throw-away scene in the middle of the book that sort of came out of nowhere. Now, I am demi, and I appreciate the rep, but I wish it had been even just a little bit more pervasive throughout the story. The way it felt so awkwardly plugged into the story cheapened the representation for me.
The larger cast of characters is similarly diverse. Roya, Azar’s cousin and best friend, is Iranian. Her bandmates are also all POC, except for Eben, the lead singer and love interest, who is the only cishet white person in the main cast. Matty, the guitarist, is Argentinian and gay, and Nadim, the bassist is an Arab exchange student (I don’t remember the specific country he is from).
The plot and pacing of the book were fine. It wasn’t great, but it wasn’t terrible. I was never super engaged, nor did I ever have the desire to DNF the book. There were a lot of throwaway scenes and things that happened in the book that I thought would become recurring themes later on, but didn’t. They added nothing to the book or the story, and just kind of felt… weirdly inserted. Azar’s demisexuality is one example of this. Another is Azar’s visit to Eben’s house where she learns his mom is a famous internet blogger who posts about him a ton on the internet for views (sometimes in a way that is exploitative and a violation of his privacy). That made me go what? It was completely out of left field and didn’t mesh with who Eben is as a person. He and Azar never addressed it in conversation. It never comes up again. It was a whole thing that I couldn’t stop thinking about for the rest of the book, waiting for it to become relevant again, only for that to never happen.
Azar goes through some serious character growth throughout the book, and unlike some other aspects of the story, those threads are never lost. One of the reasons I say this book reads a lot like a MG novel is because this character growth, and the accompanying morals, are very heavy handed. We are blatantly told and shown that Azar needs to work on team work. She’s a little bit of a control-freak (relateable lol), and she feels personally attacked every time the band doesn’t want to do exactly what she says or wants. This did get kind of annoying at times, because of how often it was repeatedly shoved down the reader’s throats, and because the way it was written felt very much like a lesson being taught. Which felt very middle grade, to me, for a YA novel. Middle grade books can sometimes have a very strong teaching moral woven in, whereas books for older readers (YA, adult) often have themes that are more subversively present that the reader is expected to take away without having it shoved in their face.
I think that Azar’s growth in accepting herself and her disability was done much more artfully. She steadily and gradually began to accept herself throughout the book, culminating in her realizing she doesn’t need to have fully functional vical cordsin order to play her music and be happy with herself. Unlike the “teamwork is important!” aspect of her character growth, this felt much more natural within the story, and I really enjoyed watching her grow.
This book is definitely worth the read, and I would love to see a true middle grade book from this author someday! I think she’d excel at it.
August 31, 2022
4.5 stars rounded up!
This was such a great coming of age story. Azar is an incredible 14 year old Argentinian-Iranian girl going through her freshmen year of high school who has to take part in speech therapy thanks to a bout of childhood colic that left her with painful throat nodules that makes talking incredibly difficult. Azar’s condition doesn’t stop her from dreaming of being a successful musician.
After a mix up gets Azar into hot water, she finds herself entered in an upcoming battle of the bands, so now Azar has to go from rarely speaking to anyone to opening up to people in order to find some willing band mates.
Azar is such a fantastic character, and I loved watching her find her strengths especially when she starts out believing that her disability is hindrance. I also loved Azar questioning her sexual identity and finding a label that suits her.
When it comes to side characters, I really enjoyed watching Azar navigate the relationships with her mother, her father, her cousin, as well as Eben, the boy she never expected to like. The reader really gets to see Azar thrive and flourish through these relationships.
As a final note, I highly recommend the audio for this one. Alex McKenna does a phenomenal job especially when it comes to the different vocal transitions of Azar.
Thank you to Penguin Teen & PRH Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
This was such a great coming of age story. Azar is an incredible 14 year old Argentinian-Iranian girl going through her freshmen year of high school who has to take part in speech therapy thanks to a bout of childhood colic that left her with painful throat nodules that makes talking incredibly difficult. Azar’s condition doesn’t stop her from dreaming of being a successful musician.
After a mix up gets Azar into hot water, she finds herself entered in an upcoming battle of the bands, so now Azar has to go from rarely speaking to anyone to opening up to people in order to find some willing band mates.
Azar is such a fantastic character, and I loved watching her find her strengths especially when she starts out believing that her disability is hindrance. I also loved Azar questioning her sexual identity and finding a label that suits her.
When it comes to side characters, I really enjoyed watching Azar navigate the relationships with her mother, her father, her cousin, as well as Eben, the boy she never expected to like. The reader really gets to see Azar thrive and flourish through these relationships.
As a final note, I highly recommend the audio for this one. Alex McKenna does a phenomenal job especially when it comes to the different vocal transitions of Azar.
Thank you to Penguin Teen & PRH Audio for providing a review copy. This did not influence my review. All opinions are my own.
October 31, 2022
This story is very different from what I typically read in some ways, which I find exciting. I had no clue it was a companion novel to Perfectly Parvin, so I plan on reading that eventually!
For one, this book is about a 14 year old. I personally really like younger YA and fully think we need more of it, but I also don't read a ton of it because not a ton of it exists!
Secondly, it is about a character with a medical condition I hadn't considered before. Azar has these nodules on her throat which affect her voice, cause her a lot of pain when speaking, and make her susceptible to throat infections.
Thirdly, Azar is Iranian, Argentinian, and Italian. Typically I feel like most of the mixed race characters I read are only mixed between two races, and even then, usually only one of their races have a strong culture. I really like that we get to see Azar's family on all sides, and they all have a really strong cultural background!!
BUT anyway to get to the actual meat of the story, Azar gets into a little trouble at school and ends up owing the school $1000. The principal basically gives her all these options of extracurriculars she could join - but she's always been interested in music, and the Battle of the Bands has a $10,000 prize, so it ends up being an easy choice.
Except not really. Azar loves songwriting but doesn't feel confident that her voice will ever allow her to sing in front of people. Also, it's Battle of the BANDS, and Azar is significantly bandless. So she has to set out to try and find a collection of people willing to be in her band.
Azar has always been very quiet, mostly because it's painful not to be, and consequentially her only friend has pretty much been her cousin. Azar is forced to meet her classmates, for real, for basically the first time. Seeing her come out of her shell so well is very rewarding and sweet.
This book is really funny - Azar has such a personality and it shines through in her narration. As far as actual narration goes, I recommend the audiobook for this book, because the narrator nails the scratchiness of Azar's voice.
Azar's parents are divorced, and she doesn't see her dad too often, and then circumstances change and I think it's handled in an interesting way in this story. Custody is really different for every single family and I am impressed with how it was approached in this book.
The main conflict in this story deals with Azar's need for control. It's hard to watch her fight with people, but it's pretty easy to understand why she wants control in her life when she has such a big thing going on with her health that she isn't able to control.
Overall I really liked this book, and I think it would be a great read for middle grade readers who are getting ready to start reading YA, but also, it's just a great read in general. Definitely recommend checking this one out!!
For one, this book is about a 14 year old. I personally really like younger YA and fully think we need more of it, but I also don't read a ton of it because not a ton of it exists!
Secondly, it is about a character with a medical condition I hadn't considered before. Azar has these nodules on her throat which affect her voice, cause her a lot of pain when speaking, and make her susceptible to throat infections.
Thirdly, Azar is Iranian, Argentinian, and Italian. Typically I feel like most of the mixed race characters I read are only mixed between two races, and even then, usually only one of their races have a strong culture. I really like that we get to see Azar's family on all sides, and they all have a really strong cultural background!!
BUT anyway to get to the actual meat of the story, Azar gets into a little trouble at school and ends up owing the school $1000. The principal basically gives her all these options of extracurriculars she could join - but she's always been interested in music, and the Battle of the Bands has a $10,000 prize, so it ends up being an easy choice.
Except not really. Azar loves songwriting but doesn't feel confident that her voice will ever allow her to sing in front of people. Also, it's Battle of the BANDS, and Azar is significantly bandless. So she has to set out to try and find a collection of people willing to be in her band.
Azar has always been very quiet, mostly because it's painful not to be, and consequentially her only friend has pretty much been her cousin. Azar is forced to meet her classmates, for real, for basically the first time. Seeing her come out of her shell so well is very rewarding and sweet.
This book is really funny - Azar has such a personality and it shines through in her narration. As far as actual narration goes, I recommend the audiobook for this book, because the narrator nails the scratchiness of Azar's voice.
Azar's parents are divorced, and she doesn't see her dad too often, and then circumstances change and I think it's handled in an interesting way in this story. Custody is really different for every single family and I am impressed with how it was approached in this book.
The main conflict in this story deals with Azar's need for control. It's hard to watch her fight with people, but it's pretty easy to understand why she wants control in her life when she has such a big thing going on with her health that she isn't able to control.
Overall I really liked this book, and I think it would be a great read for middle grade readers who are getting ready to start reading YA, but also, it's just a great read in general. Definitely recommend checking this one out!!
September 15, 2022
thank you PRH International for sending me an EARC of this book!
5 STARS!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book kind of breaks the distance between middle grade and ya, since it has a very middle grade-y feel but in a great way. I don’t really read middle grade often, but this book was simply delightful (and that is not a word i use often, or lightly).
This book had everything. First off, I had no clue there was chronic illness/disability rep, but it was a constant through the book and it felt so incredibly well done. AND a demisexual main character? Yeah this hit all the boxes for me 😭🫶🏻
The characters felt REAL and GENUINE and were often incredibly relatable. Was the mc frustrating at times? well YEAH she is 14, of course she made decisions or had thoughts that frustrated me because she’s YOUNG AND LEARNING. However she was nothing if not incredible and someone I could relate to and her struggles felt simply SO REAL TO ME. There were also so many important convos here, it was all just so beautifully done.
This book feels important for kids, young teens, and young adults to read and cherish. I feel incredibly special for having the incredible chance to read it 🫶🏻
5 STARS!!! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
This book kind of breaks the distance between middle grade and ya, since it has a very middle grade-y feel but in a great way. I don’t really read middle grade often, but this book was simply delightful (and that is not a word i use often, or lightly).
This book had everything. First off, I had no clue there was chronic illness/disability rep, but it was a constant through the book and it felt so incredibly well done. AND a demisexual main character? Yeah this hit all the boxes for me 😭🫶🏻
The characters felt REAL and GENUINE and were often incredibly relatable. Was the mc frustrating at times? well YEAH she is 14, of course she made decisions or had thoughts that frustrated me because she’s YOUNG AND LEARNING. However she was nothing if not incredible and someone I could relate to and her struggles felt simply SO REAL TO ME. There were also so many important convos here, it was all just so beautifully done.
This book feels important for kids, young teens, and young adults to read and cherish. I feel incredibly special for having the incredible chance to read it 🫶🏻
Read
November 25, 2022Azar Rossi’s freshman year is off to a rough start. Her throat is scarred from a childhood illness, so Azar speaks with difficulty and discomfort, but words pour out of her in the form of lyrics in a notebook. Azar is also a talented guitarist and drummer, but she knows she will probably never sing her own songs. Her rough voice impacts her comfort in social situations too, so Azar is mostly okay hanging out with her mom and younger cousin.
Then other difficulties in Azar’s life arise and converge. She is required to perform at ther school district’s Battle of the Bands so the prize money can pay for school property that she accidentally damaged. This is followed by her doctor recommending a throat surgery, and Azar learning that she will need to move in with her father for the rest of her high school years.
All of this takes place in Olivia Abtahi’s excellent second novel Azar on Fire. Abtahi portrays Azar’s courage as she forms a band, takes a chance on a romantic relationship, and learns how to navigate creative collaboration, all while speaking in an awkward, scratchy voice. I also admire how Azar on Fire shows educators working to not just accommodate Azar’s physical condition but find ways for her to excel. I can’t think of another young adult novel where a school’s speech pathologist plays a pivotal, positive role.
The students in Azar on Fire are a diverse bunch. Although Azar was born in America, her mother is Iranian and Argentinian, and her father is Italian. Azar’s newfound friends include a Lebanese immigrant, a gay couple, and a wealthy white lacrosse star. All of them are nice kids who treat each other respectfully and equitably without having to think about it much.
Azar on Fire is an appealing book for young readers interested in music, bands, diverse characters, or physical differences. It’s a perfect choice for those who enjoyed Nina LaCour’s The Disenchantments or Battle of the Bands, edited by Lauren Gibaldi and Eric Smith. (Olivia Abtahi’s Azar on Fire is funnier than either of those books.)
Because I found myself pausing to take in the cover each time I picked up Azar on Fire, I also want to shoutout Kristie Radwilowicz’s outstanding book design with striking cover art by Kervin Brisseaux that is artfully echoed in the chapter heading graphics inside the book.
This review is also posted on my What's Not Wrong? blog in slightly different form.
Then other difficulties in Azar’s life arise and converge. She is required to perform at ther school district’s Battle of the Bands so the prize money can pay for school property that she accidentally damaged. This is followed by her doctor recommending a throat surgery, and Azar learning that she will need to move in with her father for the rest of her high school years.
All of this takes place in Olivia Abtahi’s excellent second novel Azar on Fire. Abtahi portrays Azar’s courage as she forms a band, takes a chance on a romantic relationship, and learns how to navigate creative collaboration, all while speaking in an awkward, scratchy voice. I also admire how Azar on Fire shows educators working to not just accommodate Azar’s physical condition but find ways for her to excel. I can’t think of another young adult novel where a school’s speech pathologist plays a pivotal, positive role.
The students in Azar on Fire are a diverse bunch. Although Azar was born in America, her mother is Iranian and Argentinian, and her father is Italian. Azar’s newfound friends include a Lebanese immigrant, a gay couple, and a wealthy white lacrosse star. All of them are nice kids who treat each other respectfully and equitably without having to think about it much.
Azar on Fire is an appealing book for young readers interested in music, bands, diverse characters, or physical differences. It’s a perfect choice for those who enjoyed Nina LaCour’s The Disenchantments or Battle of the Bands, edited by Lauren Gibaldi and Eric Smith. (Olivia Abtahi’s Azar on Fire is funnier than either of those books.)
Because I found myself pausing to take in the cover each time I picked up Azar on Fire, I also want to shoutout Kristie Radwilowicz’s outstanding book design with striking cover art by Kervin Brisseaux that is artfully echoed in the chapter heading graphics inside the book.
This review is also posted on my What's Not Wrong? blog in slightly different form.
December 16, 2022
This was SUPER good. The MC Azar was an annoying OVERLY dramatic teen at first, but she GREW. Character arc, present and it progressed naturally.
Yes, there were still times when I wanted to shake her, but I’m sure when I was 14, it took a lot of patience for my parents to not get obviously annoyed with me. (Honestly, they must have been saints to put up with me. Thanks Mom and Dad.)
So I pushed through the annoying bits and I’m glad I did.
I loved the diversity in this book, and how it showed what kids deal with nowadays, both American teens and teens from other countries. None of it felt fake or shoe-horned in.
Only quibble is that they didn’t have Azar and her family learn ASL so it would be easier to communicate with each other when her throat wouldn’t allow her to speak or she had to rest her voice. I think that would have made sense in a real life situation, but that’s just me. It was mentioned in the book, but it wasn’t explored deeper, which was a shame.
I ALSO love that NJ was mentioned and NOT as the butt of a joke!! Thank you!! That makes me so happy! NJ is not a state of degenerates who talk like New Yorkers, lol. Well, some of us do, the ones in North East Jersey who live close to NY, but that’s a small percentage, I promise. And we have the average number of degenerates, just like every other area.
But I digress.
I loved the character development, the realistic reactions of the different characters and the different backgrounds of each of them. I really want to know if things work out with her mom and that Farsi school dad though, lol. That was cute.
I also want to know how Jam Session does at next year’s battle and if Roya made any money on her merch table. She was a fun character, lol.
So yeah, can we have a sequel please?
The narrator did a good job and I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to do the rasping voice for Azar.
4, I definitely recommend this for higher Middle readers and YA readers, stars. (Cute for adults too.)
My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio and Libro.fm for an advanced copy of this book to listen to and review.
Yes, there were still times when I wanted to shake her, but I’m sure when I was 14, it took a lot of patience for my parents to not get obviously annoyed with me. (Honestly, they must have been saints to put up with me. Thanks Mom and Dad.)
So I pushed through the annoying bits and I’m glad I did.
I loved the diversity in this book, and how it showed what kids deal with nowadays, both American teens and teens from other countries. None of it felt fake or shoe-horned in.
Only quibble is that they didn’t have Azar and her family learn ASL so it would be easier to communicate with each other when her throat wouldn’t allow her to speak or she had to rest her voice. I think that would have made sense in a real life situation, but that’s just me. It was mentioned in the book, but it wasn’t explored deeper, which was a shame.
I ALSO love that NJ was mentioned and NOT as the butt of a joke!! Thank you!! That makes me so happy! NJ is not a state of degenerates who talk like New Yorkers, lol. Well, some of us do, the ones in North East Jersey who live close to NY, but that’s a small percentage, I promise. And we have the average number of degenerates, just like every other area.
But I digress.
I loved the character development, the realistic reactions of the different characters and the different backgrounds of each of them. I really want to know if things work out with her mom and that Farsi school dad though, lol. That was cute.
I also want to know how Jam Session does at next year’s battle and if Roya made any money on her merch table. She was a fun character, lol.
So yeah, can we have a sequel please?
The narrator did a good job and I can’t imagine how difficult it must have been to do the rasping voice for Azar.
4, I definitely recommend this for higher Middle readers and YA readers, stars. (Cute for adults too.)
My thanks to Penguin Random House Audio and Libro.fm for an advanced copy of this book to listen to and review.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 11, 2022
I thought this was a very quick, easy, and fun read. Though I liked it, I felt that there was something missing. It seemed a little flat to me at times. I think it's still worth the read though because it was still entertaining and the representation is great. The main character is Iranian, has a chronic illness, and is demisexual. I loved all that rep in one character, but I did feel as if the demisexual part of Azar's identity could have been developed a bit more. I felt as if Azar and Eben's relationship was a bit forced. I felt like they didn't have enough meaningful interactions, besides the fact that he is the first person outside her family that she became friends with and talked to at all, for her to develop a crush. I know that every demisexual's experience is different so this could have been enough emotional connection of Azar's character, especially given her lack of social interactions. So that being said, even though the development of her relationship felt a bit off to me, I still appreciated the demisexual representation that I rarely see in books.
This is a sequel to another book but It can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book before reading this because I didn't realize it was a sequel at first but that didn't hinder me from understanding anything that went on. I do know that the main character of the first book was Parvin and she is mentioned in the book but only for a couple of sentences that didn't have any real consequences to the plot.
Overall, I think this is worth the read if you're looking for a quick and easy read with lots of different types of representation.
This is a sequel to another book but It can be read as a standalone. I hadn't read the first book before reading this because I didn't realize it was a sequel at first but that didn't hinder me from understanding anything that went on. I do know that the main character of the first book was Parvin and she is mentioned in the book but only for a couple of sentences that didn't have any real consequences to the plot.
Overall, I think this is worth the read if you're looking for a quick and easy read with lots of different types of representation.
September 12, 2022
Thank you to netgalley for my advanced reader copy of this book!
I did not read Perfectly Parvin before jumping into this one, but I didn’t feel like I missed anything.
I really enjoyed this novel. It’s not middle grade so I’d just consider it really early YA. The main character, Azar, is 14. She has some voice health issues that she undergoes surgery and doctors visits for in the book and I thought this was a really interesting and realistic health condition to include in her character.
Things I enjoyed:
- watching Azar make friends
- The creation of Azar’s band
- the cute little romance between Azar and Eben
- Azar’s relationship with her parents
Oh I also liked that Azar and her cousin kind of explore her sexuality and come to the conclusion she might be/probably is demisexual and they define it? I thought this was handled well and mature fore their age.
I really felt like I watched her grow in the course of the novel. It was a cute and quick read overall and I enjoyed it despite it being a younger YA.
I did not read Perfectly Parvin before jumping into this one, but I didn’t feel like I missed anything.
I really enjoyed this novel. It’s not middle grade so I’d just consider it really early YA. The main character, Azar, is 14. She has some voice health issues that she undergoes surgery and doctors visits for in the book and I thought this was a really interesting and realistic health condition to include in her character.
Things I enjoyed:
- watching Azar make friends
- The creation of Azar’s band
- the cute little romance between Azar and Eben
- Azar’s relationship with her parents
Oh I also liked that Azar and her cousin kind of explore her sexuality and come to the conclusion she might be/probably is demisexual and they define it? I thought this was handled well and mature fore their age.
I really felt like I watched her grow in the course of the novel. It was a cute and quick read overall and I enjoyed it despite it being a younger YA.
December 15, 2022
Azar has had throat issues for a long time and because of them often doesn't speak, it causes her pain and she doesn't think it sounds good. Writing music lyrics brings Azar a lot of joy but she worries she'll never hear them turn into actual music. She often keeps to herself and her mom is her best friend, while visiting her dad once a month and going to concerts also brings her great joy. One day getting hit by something in the hall frustrates Azar and sends her into a drumming session in a janitors closet to escape the chaos. Unfortunately she gets out a little too much frustration and a bunch of supplies are ruined, her punishment is either compete in battle of the bands and share the prize money if she wins or pay for all the ruined supplies out right. The only problem is, she doesn't have a band or the money to pay, what will she choose?
July 29, 2023
This was really lovely 🥹🥹
Rep: Iranian-Argentinian-Italian American hetero demi-aroace cis female MC with vocal nodules that cause chronic pain and chronic throat infections, white cishet male side character, Lebanese cis male side character, Argentinian-American achillean cis male side character, Mexican-American achillean cis male side character, various Iranian and Iranian-Argentinian side characters, Egyptian cis male side character, various white side characters.
CWs: Ableism, medical content (including surgery), chronic illness.
Rep: Iranian-Argentinian-Italian American hetero demi-aroace cis female MC with vocal nodules that cause chronic pain and chronic throat infections, white cishet male side character, Lebanese cis male side character, Argentinian-American achillean cis male side character, Mexican-American achillean cis male side character, various Iranian and Iranian-Argentinian side characters, Egyptian cis male side character, various white side characters.
CWs: Ableism, medical content (including surgery), chronic illness.
September 29, 2022
Another home run for younger teens by Olivia Abtahi.
Azar is a 14-year-old multiracial musician and songwriter who dreams of performing her own songs but knows she never will. Due to the vocal polyps she's had since infancy, she can barely speak, and singing is definitely out of the question.
Audiobook narrator Alex McKenna is outstanding, portraying Azar's raspy voice convincingly at all of its varying levels, from strangled croak to a scratchy near-normal and everywhere in between. A beautifully written and beautifully acted winner.
Azar is a 14-year-old multiracial musician and songwriter who dreams of performing her own songs but knows she never will. Due to the vocal polyps she's had since infancy, she can barely speak, and singing is definitely out of the question.
Audiobook narrator Alex McKenna is outstanding, portraying Azar's raspy voice convincingly at all of its varying levels, from strangled croak to a scratchy near-normal and everywhere in between. A beautifully written and beautifully acted winner.
January 7, 2023
This reminded me of a Disney Original Movie in the best way possible. It was a sweet younger YA that has so much heart. This author is quickly becoming one of my favorites. The voice of her characters are so funny. If you are a fan of Meg Cabot’s books, check out Olivia Abtahi’s books
January 24, 2023
The premise is a little unbelievable but I couldn’t help but root for Azar the entire time. I felt emotionally invested in her character! Overall, a fun read that handles topics of chronic illness, race, sexuality, and social emotional learning with grace and kindness.
September 16, 2022
Azar on Fire was a great read and felt almost like watching a movie during the story. The plot was fun and the character's passion leaps off the pages.
December 9, 2022
It's been awhile since I've read a fun battle of the bands type story and this one was really engaging. It was also excellent to see the representation of Azar's chronic illness.
December 7, 2024
I really wanted this book to make me feel better. And it did! But it also didn't.
Let me put my thoughts together and I'll be back.
Let me put my thoughts together and I'll be back.
May 16, 2022
Thank you to Olivia Abtahi & Penguin Teen for the e-arc!
I absolutely adored Olivia's debut Perfectly Parvin, reading a story about a girl so much like myself struggling with her identity as Iranian and trying to love and accept herself was something I had been waiting for all my life.
It's easy to compare a sophomore novel to its predecessor, and Azar on Fire still has Abtahi's signature humor (I really mean it, she writes HILARIOUS lines), but while the book doesn't discuss belonging as related to your heritage, I related and love it just as much as Perfectly Parvin. Because as much as I loved funny and loud Parvin, it just wasn't me at 14. At 14 I was the quiet kid in school, always scared of what other people thought of me, just like Azar. And while I wasn't quiet because of throat and voice issues, I still saw so much of myself in Azar. I think that's what made me love this book so deeply, how Azar eventually finds her voice and stands proud. The musical elements were a joy to read and the boys in her band were so wholesome, I want to adopt all of them (especially Nadim, bless him). I also love how this was set in the same universe as Perfectly Parvin and how the characters were intertwined in such a realistic way.
Overall I just really loved this book because it, much like Perfectly Parvin, gives a voice to those of us who have often felt underrepresented and for that I will always love Olivia Abtahi's books.
I absolutely adored Olivia's debut Perfectly Parvin, reading a story about a girl so much like myself struggling with her identity as Iranian and trying to love and accept herself was something I had been waiting for all my life.
It's easy to compare a sophomore novel to its predecessor, and Azar on Fire still has Abtahi's signature humor (I really mean it, she writes HILARIOUS lines), but while the book doesn't discuss belonging as related to your heritage, I related and love it just as much as Perfectly Parvin. Because as much as I loved funny and loud Parvin, it just wasn't me at 14. At 14 I was the quiet kid in school, always scared of what other people thought of me, just like Azar. And while I wasn't quiet because of throat and voice issues, I still saw so much of myself in Azar. I think that's what made me love this book so deeply, how Azar eventually finds her voice and stands proud. The musical elements were a joy to read and the boys in her band were so wholesome, I want to adopt all of them (especially Nadim, bless him). I also love how this was set in the same universe as Perfectly Parvin and how the characters were intertwined in such a realistic way.
Overall I just really loved this book because it, much like Perfectly Parvin, gives a voice to those of us who have often felt underrepresented and for that I will always love Olivia Abtahi's books.
Read
November 19, 2025Azar on Fire is a funny and cute book about a 14-year-old forming a band. If you work with young people or read a lot of YA books, you're immediately going to recognize that this is that rare gem written for and about young people, featuring kids who are acting like kids, AND aimed at the younger age bracket on the YA range. Seriously, it's so hard to find books with 14-year-olds! Additionally, Azar has a vocal disability that requires her to limit her speech, so she's gone her whole life without casually chatting with classmates, and that makes this special school year--the year when she gains friends outside of her own family--especially fraught with teenage growth because there are a lot of things we learn while socializing, and Azar is awkward. This awkwardness is a key part of what makes the story lovely. Azar is also self-focused, like so many teens, but she's not a bad kid at all. The self-focus is so understandable. She's thinking about her throat problems, etc., and then she's realizing that she hurt someone's feelings or misunderstood someone or otherwise didn't consider someone else's perspective. I thought it beautifully captures the genuine learning curve that kids have with their friends as they spend time together. Azar also responds emotionally in a way very true to her age.
I was particularly pulled in by anything ENT or throat related, as I, too, have a vocal disorder. I was reading with my throat hurting and thinking how I used to guzzle all those throat soothing teas, too, as Azar describes her disgust of being handed another throat-soothing tea. I felt a little bit of disappointment that Azar was never in an awkward situation where she couldn't explain herself because she couldn't speak, and she was dealing with someone unaware of her condition, but Azar's throat disorder didn't seem to ever physically prevent her from speaking. She was instructed not to speak in order for the condition not to worsen. Azar was always surrounded by support and understanding, even when she was feeling frustrated and thinking that others didn't understand.
Aside from the main plot, we have Azar's extended family, with her parents living apart from each other, and three different cultural backgrounds (Iranian, Argentinian, and Italian) contributing to Azar's heritage. There is also a demisexual reveal, with Azar developing her first crush and her cousin suggesting that Azar is demi, with an explanation section on what that means. Every time Azar's mom made a birth control joke, I felt a bit surprised, as Azar is not sexually active and the book doesn't have a sexual focus. However, Azar's mom became pregnant when she was young, and she set aside her college studies to raise Azar, so it all links back together, and children need to be taught sexual awareness and safety prior to them becoming sexually active. While this is a younger book in YA, it isn't a MG book.
I suggest this for readers looking for a fun book about younger teens forming a band, and a girl who wants to be a singer-songwriter but has a vocal disorder, acknowledging her voice.
I was particularly pulled in by anything ENT or throat related, as I, too, have a vocal disorder. I was reading with my throat hurting and thinking how I used to guzzle all those throat soothing teas, too, as Azar describes her disgust of being handed another throat-soothing tea. I felt a little bit of disappointment that Azar was never in an awkward situation where she couldn't explain herself because she couldn't speak, and she was dealing with someone unaware of her condition, but Azar's throat disorder didn't seem to ever physically prevent her from speaking. She was instructed not to speak in order for the condition not to worsen. Azar was always surrounded by support and understanding, even when she was feeling frustrated and thinking that others didn't understand.
Aside from the main plot, we have Azar's extended family, with her parents living apart from each other, and three different cultural backgrounds (Iranian, Argentinian, and Italian) contributing to Azar's heritage. There is also a demisexual reveal, with Azar developing her first crush and her cousin suggesting that Azar is demi, with an explanation section on what that means. Every time Azar's mom made a birth control joke, I felt a bit surprised, as Azar is not sexually active and the book doesn't have a sexual focus. However, Azar's mom became pregnant when she was young, and she set aside her college studies to raise Azar, so it all links back together, and children need to be taught sexual awareness and safety prior to them becoming sexually active. While this is a younger book in YA, it isn't a MG book.
I suggest this for readers looking for a fun book about younger teens forming a band, and a girl who wants to be a singer-songwriter but has a vocal disorder, acknowledging her voice.
September 25, 2022
Music-loving Azar's vocal cords are broken. So broken, in fact, that talking is excruciating, so she just doesn't. She doesn't answer questions in class, and she avoids every one of her peers besides her middle schooler cousin, Roya. One day, after a particularly stressful altercation in the halls, Azar scampers off to the janitor's closet to relieve stress in the way she always does: by playing music. Things go sideways, however, when her drumming destroys a thousand dollar's worth of cleaning supplies. Her principal proposes a solution: if Azar enters the local Battle of the Bands on behalf of her school, she'll get off scot-free. Unfortunately, in order to participate in said battle, she'll need a band. Assembling one will require plenty of skills she doesn't have like communication, social charisma, and unending patience. In Azar on Fire, we follow Azar as she assembles together both a band and relationships, all while using her voice as minimally as possible.
Opinion:
When starting this book, I was just the slightest bit apprehensive. Though I can muscle through it, I tend to stray away from books in first person. However, this was quickly proved not to be an issue as Azar is quite literally one of the funniest narrators I've ever read. I doubt that the book would be as good if it was written any way that wasn't directly from Azar. Not only is the book genuinely hilarious, it's packed with personality.
Azar is developed without ambiguity early on, and I love how close we feel to her from the get-go. Her struggles extend further than just her throat and voice, which was lovely to see. She was multifaceted and felt like a real person with real depth. She was relatable and such a joy to follow as a main character!
While I loved Azar, I was upset about the lack of development for the side characters. I'm the kind of person whose character interest spreads way beyond the main character, so it wasn't nice to spend the entire book wishing that we could know more about her bandmates or cousin. While their personalities were somewhat distinct, it felt like a lot of their potential was lost. They're lovely but frustratingly unremarkable.
However, I wouldn't let this stop you from reading the book! Azar is definitely a strong enough main character that it makes up for it, so it's no big deal, overall.
There is a lot of wholesome interactions and good descriptive writing in this book, making it a smooth read overall. This book was bold and fun, and I would recommend it to, honestly, anyone in high school. Even if you're not a music lover or you're perfectly confident in your voice, this book is fun, light, and an overall good time.
Opinion:
When starting this book, I was just the slightest bit apprehensive. Though I can muscle through it, I tend to stray away from books in first person. However, this was quickly proved not to be an issue as Azar is quite literally one of the funniest narrators I've ever read. I doubt that the book would be as good if it was written any way that wasn't directly from Azar. Not only is the book genuinely hilarious, it's packed with personality.
Azar is developed without ambiguity early on, and I love how close we feel to her from the get-go. Her struggles extend further than just her throat and voice, which was lovely to see. She was multifaceted and felt like a real person with real depth. She was relatable and such a joy to follow as a main character!
While I loved Azar, I was upset about the lack of development for the side characters. I'm the kind of person whose character interest spreads way beyond the main character, so it wasn't nice to spend the entire book wishing that we could know more about her bandmates or cousin. While their personalities were somewhat distinct, it felt like a lot of their potential was lost. They're lovely but frustratingly unremarkable.
However, I wouldn't let this stop you from reading the book! Azar is definitely a strong enough main character that it makes up for it, so it's no big deal, overall.
There is a lot of wholesome interactions and good descriptive writing in this book, making it a smooth read overall. This book was bold and fun, and I would recommend it to, honestly, anyone in high school. Even if you're not a music lover or you're perfectly confident in your voice, this book is fun, light, and an overall good time.
December 22, 2024
⭐️⭐️⭐️ IT WAS GOOD BUT NOT GREAT -- This book was enjoyable, but I didn't LOVE it. I may have had some small issues with things like the plot or characterisation, or it may have just been a bit slow occasionally which led to my attention wandering. I'll also probably not remember this book distinctly in a few months time. Still, I would recommend this book to people who like other similar works.
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My ranking criteria (✅= Yes, ❌= No, ➖= Kind of/a little bit):
*Bonus points if I can't put the book down, it makes me feel strong emotion, or genuinely surprises me in some way.
*Penalty points for editing errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.), for children who act too mature or too young for their age (this is a bugbear of mine), or if there is something in the book that just really pisses me off for any reason.
1. I was sucked into the story from the beginning ➖
2. The story had a proper beginning, middle, and end ✅
3. The writing evoked a feeling of suspense ➖
4. I was engaged the whole way through/didn't get bored ➖
5. The characters were interesting ✅
6. There was some form of character development ➖
7. The book wasn't predictable in terms of relying on tired tropes, clichés, themes, stereotypes, etc. ➖
8. I cared about the outcome of the story ✅
9. I didn't work out the ending/the ending surprised me ❌
10. The ending was satisfying ✅
🌟 Bonus points: None.
☠️ Penalty points: None.
🏅 OVERALL RANKING: 6.5/10 (3.25/5 stars)
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Thoughts, Conclusion, and Recommendation:
*I am about a year behind on my reviews due to Goodreads giving me a "the servers are over capacity" error every time I tried to use it for MONTHS. As a result of this (and also my memory not being perfect), this review is likely going to be lighter on details and shorter than my reviews normally are.
I'm aware that as an adult, I'm not the intended audience of Azar on Fire. However, I believe that a book can (and should!) be enjoyable by anyone of any age if it's written well enough. Azar on Fire was fine; it did what it set out to do. Azar was less annoying than Parvin (from Perfectly Parvin), so I guess that was something! Something I really liked about this book was learning more about the Iranian culture. 3.25 stars (rounded down to 3 for the purposes of Goodreads).
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My ranking criteria (✅= Yes, ❌= No, ➖= Kind of/a little bit):
*Bonus points if I can't put the book down, it makes me feel strong emotion, or genuinely surprises me in some way.
*Penalty points for editing errors (spelling, grammar, punctuation, etc.), for children who act too mature or too young for their age (this is a bugbear of mine), or if there is something in the book that just really pisses me off for any reason.
1. I was sucked into the story from the beginning ➖
2. The story had a proper beginning, middle, and end ✅
3. The writing evoked a feeling of suspense ➖
4. I was engaged the whole way through/didn't get bored ➖
5. The characters were interesting ✅
6. There was some form of character development ➖
7. The book wasn't predictable in terms of relying on tired tropes, clichés, themes, stereotypes, etc. ➖
8. I cared about the outcome of the story ✅
9. I didn't work out the ending/the ending surprised me ❌
10. The ending was satisfying ✅
🌟 Bonus points: None.
☠️ Penalty points: None.
🏅 OVERALL RANKING: 6.5/10 (3.25/5 stars)
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Thoughts, Conclusion, and Recommendation:
*I am about a year behind on my reviews due to Goodreads giving me a "the servers are over capacity" error every time I tried to use it for MONTHS. As a result of this (and also my memory not being perfect), this review is likely going to be lighter on details and shorter than my reviews normally are.
I'm aware that as an adult, I'm not the intended audience of Azar on Fire. However, I believe that a book can (and should!) be enjoyable by anyone of any age if it's written well enough. Azar on Fire was fine; it did what it set out to do. Azar was less annoying than Parvin (from Perfectly Parvin), so I guess that was something! Something I really liked about this book was learning more about the Iranian culture. 3.25 stars (rounded down to 3 for the purposes of Goodreads).
April 17, 2024
4.5 - This was lovely. After listening to both books in this duology on audio, Olivia Abtahi has come to hold a soft spot in my heart. Every time I think maybe I’m too old for YA, I read something that changes my mind, and Olivia Abtahi does that with both of these books starring 14 year old Iranian girls living in the US.
The first book was also good but mostly centered on the kind of stereotypical youthful concerns, crushes and popularity, squabbles with friends. These weren’t missing from this second book but were smaller components around the central #ownvoices plot of Azar, an Iranian-Argentinian-Italian girl with extremely painful vocal nodules limiting her speech to a rare gravelly word here and there — an identity that is directly inspired by Abtahi’s own — trying to make her musical dreams come true by channeling her lyrics through the voice of new bandmate Eben for a showdown at Battle of the Bands.
There was lots to love about this book! The audio was quite well done, and if you read book 1 several of the characters reappear in the background. I also find that Abtahi writes very funny jokes interspersed into her books — no spoilers but I enjoyed the famous Chris bit 😂
The first book was also good but mostly centered on the kind of stereotypical youthful concerns, crushes and popularity, squabbles with friends. These weren’t missing from this second book but were smaller components around the central #ownvoices plot of Azar, an Iranian-Argentinian-Italian girl with extremely painful vocal nodules limiting her speech to a rare gravelly word here and there — an identity that is directly inspired by Abtahi’s own — trying to make her musical dreams come true by channeling her lyrics through the voice of new bandmate Eben for a showdown at Battle of the Bands.
There was lots to love about this book! The audio was quite well done, and if you read book 1 several of the characters reappear in the background. I also find that Abtahi writes very funny jokes interspersed into her books — no spoilers but I enjoyed the famous Chris bit 😂
August 20, 2022
The sophomore follow up to Perfectly Parvin.
🥁
Azar Rossi is a freshman, starting her second semester, hoping to stay as invisible as she’s been the first part of the year. Azar doesn’t talk much because her vocals were shredded when she had colic as a baby. It hurts to talk and her voice sounds like a smoking bullfrog, but when Azar gets in trouble at school her principal makes a deal with her to play in Battle of the Bands. Azar loves songwriting, but performing? In front of people? No way. But when she hears lacrosse hottie Eben singing, a band begins to form as Azar lets more and more people into her life. After a throat surgery helps with Azar’s pain, she still wonders if being in a band is in her future.
🥁
I absolutely loved Perfectly Parvin so I was thrilled to read the follow up (even though it can be read as a stand alone) and found it just as sweet. I loved the disability and demisexual representation—both of which were new for me to read about in a YA book. Thanks @librofm for the ALC. Great narration! Happy release day!
CW: surgery, hospitalization
🥁
Azar Rossi is a freshman, starting her second semester, hoping to stay as invisible as she’s been the first part of the year. Azar doesn’t talk much because her vocals were shredded when she had colic as a baby. It hurts to talk and her voice sounds like a smoking bullfrog, but when Azar gets in trouble at school her principal makes a deal with her to play in Battle of the Bands. Azar loves songwriting, but performing? In front of people? No way. But when she hears lacrosse hottie Eben singing, a band begins to form as Azar lets more and more people into her life. After a throat surgery helps with Azar’s pain, she still wonders if being in a band is in her future.
🥁
I absolutely loved Perfectly Parvin so I was thrilled to read the follow up (even though it can be read as a stand alone) and found it just as sweet. I loved the disability and demisexual representation—both of which were new for me to read about in a YA book. Thanks @librofm for the ALC. Great narration! Happy release day!
CW: surgery, hospitalization
October 4, 2022
Azar has been battling with vocal nodes since she was a baby and her colic wrecked her voice. Infections are commonplace and speech therapy is a must to tame her raspy voice. Even so she loves writing songs and learning musical instruments. One day she lets off some steam accidentally damaging school equipment. Her principal requires her to complete community service to cover the damages. One of the options is to gather a band and participate in the Battle of the Bands. Azar makes friends as she recruits for her band. Things get off to a great start- the cute athletic boy in her class wants to join and has a great voice, an exchange student plays bass, and a friend of a friend plays a great guitar. But they have to learn how to work together if they have any chance of winning which isn’t as easy as she originally though. Azar is given the opportunity of a lifetime to fix her vocal issues once and for all but it means vocal rest until right before the Battle. Will Azar learn how to use her voice and speak up for herself?
July 9, 2024
Azar is a high school freshman with dreams of becoming a singer/songwriter. Unfortunately, the nodules on her vocal cords prevent her from speaking loudly, much less singing. She's a loner who can go all day without social interactions with her classmates. But when an illicit drumming session in a school closet results in property damage, her principal gives her a choice: pay $1000 in restitution or represent the school in the upcoming Battle of the Bands.
Since her mother's budget wouldn't cover such an expense, Azar has little choice but to form a band. As she gradually gets to know some of her classmates, she discovers that opening up and taking a chance may be worth the risk.
Azar is likeable with a relatable health issue. She's not perfect, but she grows and learns throughout the book. She doesn't find any easy fixes, but she does learn that some chances are worth taking, even if you risk hurt and failure.
Since her mother's budget wouldn't cover such an expense, Azar has little choice but to form a band. As she gradually gets to know some of her classmates, she discovers that opening up and taking a chance may be worth the risk.
Azar is likeable with a relatable health issue. She's not perfect, but she grows and learns throughout the book. She doesn't find any easy fixes, but she does learn that some chances are worth taking, even if you risk hurt and failure.
August 14, 2022
This is the perfect book to transition from MG to YA.
Azar on Fire is a great coming-of-age novel about a young girl struggling to accept herself and follow her dreams. Like many teenagers, she’s unsure of herself and worried about the things that make her different. However, she starts to come out of her shell when striving to form a band to participate in Battle of the Bands.
This is an easy read (in a good way). I found it easy to follow Azar’s story. At first, I thought it was a little bit of a stretch destroying everything and the principal punishing her by joining BotB, but it’s a work of fiction! So, after reminding myself of that, I was more lenient.
I enjoyed to know the side characters, their stories, and seeing how they interacted with Azar. By the end, it felt like a cozy little friend group.
I felt really proud of all of the things Azar overcame by the end. Overall, this is a feel-good story, and I think that any child nervous about starting high school should read this book.
Thank you PenguinTeen for the eARC!
Azar on Fire is a great coming-of-age novel about a young girl struggling to accept herself and follow her dreams. Like many teenagers, she’s unsure of herself and worried about the things that make her different. However, she starts to come out of her shell when striving to form a band to participate in Battle of the Bands.
This is an easy read (in a good way). I found it easy to follow Azar’s story. At first, I thought it was a little bit of a stretch destroying everything and the principal punishing her by joining BotB, but it’s a work of fiction! So, after reminding myself of that, I was more lenient.
I enjoyed to know the side characters, their stories, and seeing how they interacted with Azar. By the end, it felt like a cozy little friend group.
I felt really proud of all of the things Azar overcame by the end. Overall, this is a feel-good story, and I think that any child nervous about starting high school should read this book.
Thank you PenguinTeen for the eARC!
September 10, 2022
I didn't love this one as much as I loved (loved, LOVED) Perfectly Parvin, but it was a fun read nevertheless. Abtahi's writing is very witty and engaging as always. Reading about Azar's vocal cord nodules and how that really affected her life was super interesting. The highlight for me was the relationship between Azar and her mother. I adored the banter between them, and seeing Azar get to have great relationships with both her separated parents was lovely to see, and something a lot of younger readers should see. Speaking of which, this book definitely leans more MG than YA, so I would say the target audience really is those who are just starting to explore outside the MG category.
All in all, a wholesome read.
All in all, a wholesome read.
July 20, 2022
Thank you Olivia and PRH-teen for sending me an arc. Absolutely adore this darling book. This book will warm your heart and put a smile on your face. You will feel like you're wrapped in your maman bozorg's blanket. If you enjoy tales of self discovery, self acceptance, and self love then this is the book for you. You will root for Azar as she manages the obstacles in her life, learns to navigate her highschool life, and overcomes her fears. The characters are charming, funny, nuanced, complex, and relatable. And I found myself going on a roller coaster of emotions with each chapter. I hope there's a third in this series!
November 25, 2022
One of my reading peccadillos is that I find books that include song lyrics to be cringeworthy experiences, especially songs that are made up for the book. Every time I read them, I feel a profound embarrassment for the author. It's often like reading poetry written by young teenagers.
So this book, with copious lyrics, was a struggle.
It was also a long and rambling book, but by ignoring the lyrics, I enjoyed it. The main character is a freshman in high school and I don't come across that grade level often in YA. She's finding her voice (quite literally, she's got something wrong with her vocal chords). And she's making new friends.
So this book, with copious lyrics, was a struggle.
It was also a long and rambling book, but by ignoring the lyrics, I enjoyed it. The main character is a freshman in high school and I don't come across that grade level often in YA. She's finding her voice (quite literally, she's got something wrong with her vocal chords). And she's making new friends.
July 28, 2023
I didn't enjoy this book as much as Perfectly Parvin, but it was an interesting look at a want-to-be singer that has severe vocal nodules. Azar loves music and writes lyrics all the time. All she wants to do is get her songs out there, but she can barely talk, let alone sing. After a crazy incident, her principal forces her to pay the school back by entering the Battle of the Bands. Eventually, she is able to put together a rag-tag group but things don't go quite as planned. At times the book is humorous and at times, I think Azar is just too into herself. But for the most part, a fun read for those who love music.
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